Television Viewing at Home: Distances and Visual Angles of Children and Adults

Television viewing distances, visual angles, and viewing angles were calculated for 217 children and 149 adults from 78 families. The data were obtained from time-lapse videotapes automatically recorded in the families' homes over 10-day periods. Viewing distance increases with age, and visual angle decreases with age. Viewers aged 17 years and younger viewed at an average distance of 225.3 em, at an average visual angle of 12.3 deg, and at an average viewing angle of 23.7 deg. Adult viewers watched TV at an average distance of 336.8 cm, an average visual angle of 6.6 deg, and at an average viewing angle of 23.3 deg. The best predictors of viewing location were (1) percentage of time the viewer watched TV from furniture, (2) room area, and (3) screen width.